Forest Health

Annual average of forest fire reaches 500 cases and about 3,700 ha of forests are lost to fire every year. 70% of forest fires occur during dry and windy spring or fall seasons. Dry climate, westerlies, mountainous terrains affect frequency and degree of forest fires. It is because of the föhn wind which is dry slope-down wind occurring in the eastern coast. From February to April it is extremely dry with precipitation as low as 170mm.

Most forest fires occur due to human-induced activities such as accidential fires caused by mountaineers (42%), straw incineration in rice paddies or farmland(18%), etc. Forest fires are often caused by other environmental and social factors such as increase in growing stocks, dominance of coniferous forests, thick litter layers and an increasing number of people enjoying forest recreation due to the settlement of the five-day workweek. The KFS has designated a fire danger period for five months per year, from Feb.1 to Mar.15 and from Nov.1 to Dec.15, urging caution during the period of critical fire danger.

To prevent forest fires nationwide, the KFS has set up the central forest fire control center in full charge and each regional forest fire control center in 270 provinces and counties as well. The KFS is making a great progress in realizing a green nation safe from forest fire with a scientific and systematic approach.